The Dillon tribune., 1887-04-22
THE BISHOPS STORY.

The bishop had accepted HI Invita- ~
, to dinner ut a certain house in one OF the
midland counties. Happening to ar Fe
somewhat earlier than ,,s,ial he found. "li
being shown into the drawing room, that
the hostess was not yet down. the 0nl. g.
cupant OF the room being Roman
Catholic pricst--,, complete STRANGER to
him--who was seated upon sofa in
tently reading Il largo book. As the
bishop entered the priest raised his eyes,
made him n courteous but silent bow, aud
again resumed his reading Flo was u
strongly built, active looking man-ap~
parently rather muscular Christian; hut
there was in his face IN expression r
. wcarincss and anxiety that attracted the
bishops attention, cnd he wondered m1,c'.
within himself who he could he and he
he came to bc invited to that house. sctA,,.
other guests appeared, and the hostess
came down so full Of apologies for not be-
ing in readiness to receive her guests on
their arrival that the questions he had in
tended to ask about the stranger priest
were forgotten for the time. When
seated next to his hostess mt the dinner
table, however. they rec urrcd to his mem
cry, and turning to her he rcniarkesl:
''By the way, you did not introduce nc
t. that interesting looking priest whom
found in the drawing room; who ia he:''
Then, looking alcn.; tho table. h. coa-
timed with some surprise: 'Hc does not
seem to have come i'll to tl:nHcr.
A very strange look passed over the
hostess Fac.. as SHE said l,,rri"ily, almost
in whisper: ''Wl.at. did you actually ,cc
him, them"
"Certainly l did. replied the bishop;
'but beg your pardon; fear hayc uil-
Intentionally 1ncntione|' Il subject which
is unpleasant to YOU ..crhaDs intruded
upon some family secret. l had no idea
but that the priest was a ;',nrl" guest,
like myself, and his appearance, Interested
me SO much thnt wished to ask for II,
introtluction; but If you are anxious for
some reason that his presence here should
Ike concealed, need hardly assure you
that you may depend upon my silencc.'
"No, no, my lord" answered the host
css still in II low tone, "y0u misunderstood
mc entirely; there is nothing which
wish to conceal, though this IL Il subject
which my husband does not like to have
mentioned. was surprised to hear that
the priest hnd shown himself to you, be-
cause until now this has never happened
except to n member Of our own family.
What you saw was no visitor, but an ap.
partition"
IAN appurition." CALCULATED the bishop
eyes, continued tho hostess, ''and one
whose supernatural character It Is impos-
sitle to doubt, for during the two years
we have lived in this house it has shown
itself perhaps dozen times to my husband
and myself under circumstances in which
either self-icception or imposition were
quito out Of the question. Since wc con-
nvp mi $1NC%
it is due to no natural causes, we have
decided not to speak of it to any one But
since you have seen 1t, my lord, will YOU
tlo me Il fnvor:''
Most certainly, II it be within my
power replied he. II have Otter,
thought she resumed, "that il any one
could he found who had the courage to
address it, We might perhaps be relieved
from its presence. Can yOu-will you--
make some trivial excuse tor going back
to tho drawing room for u fcw minutes,
| sce II the priest be still there, aud, il he
he, speak to him--ndjurc him to depart
from this lOusc--exOrcise him, in fact?'
After some hesitation the bishop agreed
to make the proposed experiment. His
whispered conversation with the hostess
having been apparently unobservcd, he
excused himself to her in a louder tone
for a few moments absence and left the
room. waving back the servant who
would have attended him. 1t was with g
strange thrill Of awe that ON entering the
drawing room llc perceived the figure OF
tho priest still seated in the same spot
stu diligently lHrusing his great breviary,
II such 1t was; but with unshaken rcso.u.
ton he walked slowly forward and stood
directly In front Of the apparition. As
before, the priest greeted him with a
courteous inclination of the head, but this
tlnc' instead OF Immediately rcturninc ia
inc DOCK, his eyes rested with look Of in.
hnlte weariness. and yet with kind of
suppressed eagerness also, upon the
bishops face. After a moments no,,x,
the bishop said slowly and sole,nnly:
I'm the name of God, who are YOU and
what do you want:'
The apparition closed its book, rose iron,
ITS seat. stood confronting the bishop. and
amer slight hesitation, spoke in a low
but measire! voice:
| u have never been so ;,djurel before;
viii tell you who I an, and what /
want. AS you sec, l am n priest
ol the Catholic church, and eighty years
ago this house III which we now stand was
Hhhe. was good rider, and was ex.
tremcly fond or hunting when opuortunitv
offered; and one day / was Just about to
start 1or the ncighboring meet. when n
young lady, Of very high family indeed
called upon me for tho purpose Of makinn,
n confession. What she said, Of course 4
may not repeat, but it affected very closely
the honor of one Of the nohlcst houses ri
England: and it appeared to me OF
such supreme importance that Cherc
being certain complications in the casel !
committee! the grave indiscretion-the sin
even, Tor 1t is strictly forbidden by cur
chqrch-of making notes of the confession
as heard 1t. When had absolvel nnd
alsmlssed her l found that it was onlv
barely nOSSihlc Tor mo To r,..h ~ ''